Card holder



F. w. DURAN July 30, 1957 CARD HOLDER Filed Oct. 4, 195 4 .Uni d S ates Pa -0.

CARD HOLDER y y Frank W. Duran, Tulsa, Okla.

Application October 4, 1954, Serial No. 460,059

3 Claims. (Cl. 40-11) "This invention appertainsto improvements in card holders and particularly relates to a novel card holder for attachment to a hospital bed.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a holder which is securely attachable to the head rail or head board of a bed and which is formed to protectively retain an identification card, which contains identification data relating to a patient occupying the bed, and to hold an instruction card which contains instructions for the care and feeding or the like of the patient.

Another object of this invention is to provide a card holder which includes a clamping member for attachment to a support and a clip for protectively retaining a card, the clamping member and clip cooperating to hold another card.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple and sturdy clamping member which includes a pair of cooperating straps, one of the straps carrying a card holding member or clip and the other cooperating with the card holding member or clip to form a further clip for holding another card.

A still further object of this invention resides in the provision of an inexpensive plastic card holder which is attractively designed and which is formed to hold two cards in a manner so that both are secured against accidental displacement and the data on each is clearly visible.

The foregoing and ancillary objects are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiments of which are set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the card holder;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof in attachment to the head rail of a bed;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view partly in section of a modified form thereof shown attached to the head board of a bed, and,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the card holder in attachment to the head rail of a bed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the card holder of Figs. 1-3 includes a clamping member 12 which is composed of two cooperating plastic straps 14 and 16, respectively. The strap 14 is flat and has an upper end 18 suitably fixedly superimposed on the confronting face of the strap 16. The strap 16 has an upper end portion 20 which extends above the upper end of the strap 14 and is inwardly curved to form a free clamping end or member. The straps are of identical width and thickness and are preferably formed from an inherently resilient and flexible plastic material. The strap 16 has an outwardly curved lower end portion 22, which terminates in a reversely curved end 24, the end portion and end being in the form of an S. The end 24 is formed with a transverse opening 26 which is aligned with a similar opening 28 formed in the lower end of the strap 14. A bolt 30 is received in the aligned openings.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the flat strap 14 forms the front clamping member while the strap 16 forms the back clamping member. The lower ends of the strap are fitted vertically over the head rail 32 of the head of the bed (not shown) with the inner face of the strap 14 abutting the front of the rail and the curved portion 22 encompassing the rear portion of the rail. The curved end 24 is curved away from the face of the strap 14 so that it can cam over the rail as the straps are moved down onto the rail. The bolt 30 holds the straps clamped togetheron the rail.

The front face 34 of the front clamping member or strap 14 carries a U-shaped resilient clip 36 which is formed from transparent plastic or similar material. The clip has inner and outer legs 38and 40, respectively, the leg '38be ing suitably superimposed on the face 34. The leg 38 extends above the upper end edge of the strap '14 and is disposed straight in confronting relation with the clamping end 20. The upper end 42 of the leg 38 and the clamping end 20 are disposed in contact and form a card receiver, the base of which is defined by the upper end edge of the strap 14.

The leg 40 has an outwardly curved upper end 44 and is sloped inwardly toward the straight leg 38. The leg 40 has a finger opening 46 formed in one side edge so that the card 48 can be easily withdrawn from between the legs.

While it is intended that the device can be attached to any desired support and can hold cards for any purpose, one desired environment therefor is in association with a hospital bed and, for exemplary purposes, the device has been shown in attachment to such a bed. In such use, the clip 36 will hold an identification card 48 which will be protectively enclosed by the legs 38 and 40 and which will have its outer face clearly visible through the transparent leg 38. The card will contain identification data such as the patients name, name of doctor, etc. Such card will be of a permanent nature in that it will remain in place as long as the particular patient occupies the bed.

A second card 50, which will contain instructions for the care and feeding and the like of the patient, will be held in the card receiver defined by the clamping end 20 and the upper end 42 of the leg 38. The card 50 will be positioned above the card 48 and will be easily insertable and removable.

In Fig. 3, a modified form of card holder is shown wherein the strap 16a has an outwardly curved lower end portion that terminates in an end 16b which is substantially parallel to the strap 14a. A suction cup 52 is secured by a fastener 54 to the end 16b and faces the strap 14a. This form is designed for attachment to a head board 56 and the card holder is in all other respects similar to the holder of Figs. 1 and 2.

While the best known forms of this invention have been described and shown, other forms may be realized as come within the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed l. A card holder comprising a first and second elongated strap disposed in face to face longitudinal relationship, said straps having first adjoining ends fixedly superimposed together, said straps having second adjoining ends spaced apart and adapted to receive therebetween a support, means for fixing said second ends on a support, said first strap having its first end extending beyond the first end of the second strap and curved inwardly toward the plane of the second strap and a transparent, resilient clip superimposed on the outer face of the second strap, said clip having complementary legs adapted to hold a card and extending beyond the first end of the second strap and having 'one leg disposed in confronting relation with the extending first end of the first strap to cooperate therewith in forming a channel for holding a card.

2. A card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second strap is substantially flat and the first strap has an outwardly curved second end which cooperates with the flat second end of the second strap to define a clamplike holder. v t

3. A cardholder comprising a'pair of elongated first and second straps, said second strap being substantially flat and the first strap having a substantially flat first end fixedly superimposed on one end portion of the second strap and having an outwardly curved'second end spaced apart from the other end portionof the second strapand cooperating therewith to clamp on ahead rail or board of a bed so that the first end of the first strap and the one end portion of the second strap extend above the head railtor board,.means carried by the second end of the first strap for securing the second end of the first strap and the other end portion of the second strap on the head board or rail, said first end of the first strap extending axially beyond the one end portion of the second strap and being curved inwardly toward the plane of the second strap, and a transparent U-shaped, resilient card holder having complementary legs, one leg being fixedly superimposed transversely on the outer face of the one end portion of the second strap and being disposed in contact with the extending first end of the first strap to form a channel for holding a card, the base of the channel being defined by the end edge of the one end portion of the second snap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,531,229 Bernstein Mar. 24, 1925 2,566,837 Huelsemeyer Sept. 4, 1951 

